Apparatus for the milling of rice



G. M. MILES APPARATUS FOR THE MILLING 0F RISE May11,19ze. 1 1,584,183

Fil'ed April- 16, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l atroz 11u49 May l1 1926. A,1,584,183

G. M. MILES APPARATUS FOR THE MILLING OF RICE Filed April 16, 1924 2sheets-sheet 2 -sage. Y -raga.

@Hozueif Patented May 11, 19.26a

isaiasi GEORGE M. MILES, OF FLOVERFIFLD, MCHGAN, ASSG-NOR GF ONE-HALF T0STAND- ARD RICE COMPANY, INC., OF, HOUSTON, TEXAS.

APPARATUS FOR THE IVIILIJIILWG OF RICE.

Application filed Apri 16, 1924. Serial No. 706,938.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the milling ofrice according to an improved process such as set forth in ay U. S.lPatent No. 1,495,561, granted May Q7, 1924.

. An important object of this invention is the provision of an improvedapparatus for the milling of rice which embodies hullers to loosen orbreak the bran from the kernel, and aspirating means wherein the braniseffectively segregated from the rice kernels in such manner that thekernels will not be broken or discharged with the bran, as is sometimesthe case where ordinary reels are used.

A further object of this invention is the provision of novel apparatusfor the milling of rice, which embodies an effective arrangement ofhullers and aspirating units, with a well balanced and carefullyregulated suction system for the loosening and segregation of bran fromthe rice kernels, in a complete and satisfactory manner, without thebreaking of rice, and without the discharge of fragmentary kernels withthe bran.

A further object of this invention is the provision of apparatus for thesimple, economical, and efficient removal of bran from the rice kernels,which will render a higher yield than is now possible with millingprocesses not practiced according to the process defined in my patentabove referred to.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be 'apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designatedcorresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of a milling program,embodying the units and elements necessary for the practicing of myimproved process.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken through a hullerunit which is preferably used as a part of my apparatus.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3of Figure 2.

Figure t is a sectional view taken through rotary disc aspirator whichmay be used as one of the aspirating units of my invention, and

Figure 5 is a cross sectional View taken through the aspirating unitillustrated in Figure 4.

In the drawings,` wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown thepreferred apparatus, the letters A and B may generally designate firstbreak hullers, which receive the cargo rice from a. conveyor or conduit10, a branch of which conduit leads to each of the hullers. Aspiratingunits C and D are provided, which are connected by means of a conveyoror conduit 12; the aspirating unit C preferably being connected by meansof a conveyor or shaft 13 with the first break hullers A and B. Thesecond break hullers E and F are provided, which are preferablyconnected by a conveyor' or shaft 15 with the aspirating unit D, for thepurpose of conveying the rice to the second break hullers E and F aftertreatment in the aspirating units C and D. After treatment in the secondbreak hullers E and F, the rice is led respectively through a second setof aspirators, consisting of units G and H; the unit G being connectedwith the second break hullers E and F by means of a shaft or conveyor18. The units G and H are respectively connected by means of a shaft 20,and a shaft 21 leads from the lowermost aspirator H, for purpose ofconveying the rice kernel stock to any suitable location, such as sacks,receivers, or other apparatus.

The hulling units A, B, E and F are. preferably all of the sameconstruction, and each of the same preferably includes a casing 25,provided with a top 26 which is removably positioned thereon. 25 is ashaft 27 which supports a fluted cylinder 29 in the casing. One end ofthe shaft. 27 is preferably provided with a driver pulley 30, and at theother end of the easing 25 the shaft 27 supports a fly wheel 31. Theflutes or corrugations in the cylinder 29, run as illustrated in Figure2 of the drawings, wherein it is shown that each corrugation or flut-ein the cylinder consists of an intermediate straight portion 33, and theend spiral portions 34C and 35. A funnel shaped grain inlet 36 issupported by the top of the casing, to one end, and into Bearing in thecasingV which the rice prior to removal of bran therefrom is supplied,from the shaft l() or `.at `its lovverendr supports a tray 52.

rod 51 exteriorly of the aspirator'is con- -inected for drivembysuitable mechanism 58.

15 or a branch thereof, as is illustrated in the .milling program inFigure 1 of the drawings. This grain is supplied tol the cylinder 29, atthe spiral ends 84 of the flutes in this cylinder, and the rice issubjected to a gentle act-ion i-n'the cylinder, forthepurpose ofloosening and removing'the bran from the rice kernel, as it is conveyedalong the huller, incident to rotation 'ofthe cylinder 29, At theopposite end of the casing 25 from the inlet funnel 86, an. outlet or adischarge opening 40 isprovided, adjacent the spiral portions 35 of thecylinder flutes, and With Which-outlet or exit-opening 40 the shafts orvconveyors 18 4or 18 communicate, tocarry Vlthe. grain away from thehullers, as is illustrated inthe milling program in Figure 1 0f t-hedrawings. At the lower portion of the casing 25,I a perforate screen 41is supported, over which the cargo rice is moved, andthrough Whichthe'bran is sucked into a funnel shaped member 42 which is used forcoupling the 4huller to the suction shaft 43 of my milling program, in amanner to be subsequently described.

".Flie-aspiiating units 0,1), Gr andI-I vare :to -be sharplydistinguished from the ordi- -nary rice bran reels, and it is to beunderstood .that the rice 4in, these -aspirators is not subjected to theWearing action that they receivein the conventional reel, but they aregently treated as they are vibrated or spread therein. By Way of examplea preferred type of aspirating unit has been illustrated -iii-Figures 4`and 5 of the drawings, which consists of a. casing 50 of substantiallycylindricalformat-ion, which is arranged upon a vertical axis, androtatably supports the vertical rod 51 axially therethrough, WlriJi/zlhThe rice is fed into the aspirator cylinder 50 -by means of `a'funnelshaped conduit 55,

so that the rice falls upon` the tray 52. The stock thus falling uponthe center of the revolving disc `is carried incident to rotationthereof tol the other edge, in a thin stream, `where it is subjected toan air current from below, so that the latter bran is drawn up throughthe-air and discharged into a suitsable dust collector, which in themilling pro- .gram has been designatedby numeral 58.

fThe .aspirator casing- 50 supports the tip 59 therebelow, which is offunnel shape formation, and-which is connected to the 'casingv 50'sothat air may enter from adjacent the casing 50 and the tip 59. vTheheavier kernels, of course, fall into the aspirator tip 59, and arespouted either to another aspirator, a huller, or to any desiredlocation.

The aspirator casing 50 supports the `lateral extension 65, which' isprovided with a compartment therein subdivided by means of a dependingbaffle 66. JAdjacent the commuprogram, as will be subsequentlydescribed,

and the lighter particles of the bran, such as dust, are lifted upwardlythereinto.A

rlhe heavier particles of the bran fall by Vgravity through an outlet atthe lower end of the aspirator extension arm 65, Where they fall intosuitable conveying means.

In connection with the lirst break hullers A and B, valves 90 and 91 arerespectively provided in the branch conduits 92 and 98 Which lead-to"the suction line 48, wherein a draft `is pneumatically provided by meansof an aspirating'fan 94 of any approved kind. The aspirating fan' 94 hasits discharge end l95 connected with the `dust collector 58, by means ofa shaft 96, and the material from the dust collector 58 may bedischarged into a conveyor 99 connected therewith, from whence yit maybeconveyed to anysuitable receiving box, or the like.

The second break hullers E and F have their funnel shaped connectingpieces 42 communicating with the suctionl line or con- -veyor "48, bymeans of branch lines 100 and 101 respectively; control valves 102 and108 beingprovided in these lines for regulating suction through thehullers, so that the loosened branch may be properly removed, Withoutlifting any rice kernels Yor fragments thereof.

The aspirating y,units C and D which are connected between the first andsecond break hullers may respectively have suction communication Withthe aspirating fan 94, by

means of branch conduits 104 and 105, which are connected in the lineAor conduit 108; valves 106 and 107 respectively being provided for theaspirating units C and D, for properly controlling air suctiontherethrough. ln analogous manner the aspiextension arm 65, for thepurpose of conveyn ing the heavier bran and foreign material to thedischarge conveyor 99, and as is illustrated in the milling program.

VFollowing the operation of the apparatus,fthe cargo rice is fed intothe first break hullers A and B, and therein the rice is agitated forthe loosening of the bran from the kernel, and a gentle air suctiontakes plaire through the housing ot' each oi' the hullers A and B, sothat any loosened bran may be sucked out of the huller, in accordancewith the construction and operation above mentioned. rllhe valves 90 and9i, of course, regulate the suction which takes place through thehullers, so that none. ot the rice kernels or fraginents thereoi' areli'ltted into the suction line. rlhe rice is thon discharged into theconveyor 13, and into the first aspirating unit C, where it is treatedtherein, as above mentioned, and

the lightelI particles ot the bran and dust rel) are sucked upwardlythrough the branch conduit 104, and the heavier bran gently :fallsthrough the exit at the lower enud ot' the aspirator extension arm 65into the conveyor 115. rIhe rice falls from the aspirator tip, throughthe connecting shat't 12 into the lower aspirator unit I), and istherein treated in analogous manner for the removal oi bran from therico. The rice passes from the unit B into the second break hullers Eand F, and is therein again treated for loosening any of the remainingbran which may adhere to the kernels of rice. The rice then passessuccessively through the aspirator units G and H, and is conveyed to anysuitable location.

lVhile the milling process shows that the fan 94 is employed forcreating the desired air suctio-n throughout the system, I contemplate,and have practiced the invention using a single aspirating fan tor eachaspirating unit, and for the break hullers. The use ofthe doubleaspirators between the first and second break hullers, and succeedingthe second break huller enables a graduated air suction to get all ofthe bran segregated from the rice kernels. This treatment of the rice isa novel departure from the conventional treatment of rice in reels. rIhedisadvantages of using rice reels is Well known to those skilled in theart to Which this invention relates, and the breaking of these reels isa quite common occurrence, is very wearing on the rice, and entails ahuge maintenance cost. In my process, using the apparatus described,from 30 to '70% of the bran may be removed by suction at the first andsecond break hullers, and the remaining bran is removed at theaspirating units, so that I obtain a full and complete separation of thebran from the rice kernels, Without losing any of the latter.

`While I have shown and described a preitered type oi' huller andaspirator, it is to be distinctly understood that other types ot hullersand aspirato-rs may be used, utilizing the combination of apparatus set`forth in my milling program, in order to practice the process asdefined in my' patent above mentioned.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangen'ient of units for thepractising oit this invention may be made to the arrangement set forthin my milling program, Without departing from the spirit of thisinvention or the scope ot' the claims.

I claim:

1. In' an apparatus tor the milling` of rice the combination of ahuller, an aspirator, means connecting the huller with the aspirator,suction means connected with the huller for removal oli bran therefrom,and adjustable suction means for the aspirator Yfor ren'iovin'g branfrom the rice therein, the suction means or' the aspirator beingindependently variable With respect to the suction means of the huller.

2. In apparatus for the milling` of rice the combination of a. huller, afirst aspirator unit, means for passing rice from the huller to thefirst aspirator unit, a second aspirator unit, means i'or passing ricefrom the first aspirator unit to the second aspirator unit, and variablesuction means for each of said aspirator units independently operableWith respect to each other.

3. Apparatus for rice milling comprising .first and second breakhullers, a series of aspirating units in connected relation intermediatesaid first and second break hullers, and succeeding said second breakhullers, and means providing a variable suction through said hullers andaspirators.

4L. Apparatus for milling rice comprising a irst break huller, anaspirator connected with the first break huller to receive ricetherefrom, a second break huller, a second aspirator connected With thesecond break huller to receive rice therefrom, and means lor creating asuction through said aspi rators to remove bran from the rice kernels.

5. Apparatus for milling rice comprising first break hullers, secondbreak hullers, a plurality of' aspirator units in successively connectedrelation between the first and second break hullers, and means forcreating a suction through the aspirators'.

6. Apparatus for milling rice comprising first break hullers, secondbreak hullers, a plurality of aspirator units in successively connectedrelation between the first and second break hullers, and means for-creating a suction through the aspirators and through the first andsecond break hullers.

7 Apparatus for the milling of rice com-- prising first break hullers,an aspirating unit connected With said first break hullers, a secondaspirating unit connected With the first aspirating unit to receiveri-ce therefrom, second break hullers, means connecting the second breakhullers With the second aspirating unit to receive rice therefrom, andaspirating means connected With the second break hullers to receive ricetherefrom.

8. In apparatus Jfor the milling of rice the combination of first breakliullers, second break liuliers, aspirating means connected between thefirst and second break hullers, aspirating means connected with thesecond break liullers to receive rice from the second break hullers,suction shafts Connected with said aspirating.;` means, and valve meansin said suction shafts for variably regulating' suction through saidaspirating` means.

9. n an apparatus of the class described the combination of a firstbreak liuller, a second break liuller7 an aspirator unit connectedintermediate said` first and second break hullers, an aspirator unitsucceeding said second break huller and connected therewith, suctionmeans, and valve means for variably regulating communication of saidsuction means With said aspirator units.

10. ln an apparatus of the class described the con'ibination of ai firstbreak huller, a second break huller, an aspirator unit connectedintermediate said first and second break hullers, an aspirator unitsucceeding' said second break. buller therewith, suction means, andvalve means for variably regulating communication of said suction meanswith said aspirator units and with said first and second break liullers.

GEORGE M. MILES.

and connected

